Persona Analysis: The Motif of Hands

This quick and easy analysis of Bergman's Persona takes a look at the motif of hands and how they attempt to break personal and filmic boundaries.
NOTE: There are numerous ways to interpret this enigmatic film. For the sake of time and focus, I have chosen but one.

[@keithgriffiths5810]

"Alma is more talkative" LOL

[@PeachMovie]

Which is not hard 😅

[@jogandocodbr]

just a little more

[@rinitamazumdar8829]

🤣🤣

[@nabil731]

😂😂

[@samidejong106]

😂

[@roberttarantelli4970]

It is the greatest examination of human emotion ever put on screen

[@Neuroneos]

And also the greatest examination of the medium of cinema

[@japanman4094]

I feel like Elizabeth is everything Alma wants to be, Fight Club kinda thing

[@luke9947]

@AFMadison also the frame with the dick is clearly a reference to Persona

[@CGRADT]

You mean Alma is everything Elizabeth wants to be

[@constancy999]

All those films are essentially inspired from Persona. Fight Club, Mulholland Drive, Donnie Darko, Black Swan etc.

[@jithinjithin7110]

​@@constancy999 Fight Club is based on the novel by Chuck Paullinik

[@constancy999]

@@jithinjithin7110 Hmm. Ok.

[@adamv4951]

I've watched it over 50 times in the last 30 years and still learn something new each time. Still trying to figure out a few things.

[@freudbrahms254]

Wow

[@BoRickersonMcFoosters]

Lol

[@matiasciabocco1056]

So committed!! haha

[@joesmith77777]

go outside 💀

[@adamv4951]

@@joesmith77777 lol

[@johnnyjohnny8636]

I didn't see one as a persona of the other, I saw 2 separate parts of the same person. Not masks, but genuine 'personalities' - like we all have, and usually a lot more than two. Here we have the quiet, introspective part of the whole being confronted by the energetic, yearning for answers part. One is happy to forget, while the other needs to recognize past traumas.

[@Jp-gw3tu]

In my opinion this movie is almost purely psychological, and perhaps shouldn’t be taken literally but metaphorically. Alma and Elizabet are the same person. Alma represents the Persona and Elizabet represents the Self. The self is indifferent so we employ a Persona to help us “act” out our roles in life, for example Elizabet cannot act out the role of a caring, loving mother as she represents the indifferent self, so she must employ someone to act this role out for her. We see in the beginning of the movie that Alma is looking forward to having kids with her husband, she is also in a traditionally caring role (a nurse/doctor). We are also shown that the persona knows the secrets of the self as they are part of a greater whole, and that evil cannot be fought unless we first acknowledge that it exists inside us, Alma (the persona) telling Elizabet (the self) that she is rotten then begging for forgiveness shows this perfectly). We also see this from the scene where the experienced doctor tells Elizabet that she sees through her, and that instead of playing the games of the persona where “every tone of voice, every gesture is a lie”, she is instead choosing to be mute and not take part in the roles of life that the persona must fulfil.

[@clt_james]

The commentary is thoughtful with great insight, and you seem to have broken down the thought pattern from a director's standpoint very wisely.

[@FilmFormula]

+Carim James Thanks for your comment :)

[@keeponkeen]

In the manner of hands, this was a great analysis that could have been made in a 5-minute video. And I really love the way you described how they are merging into one. Because those two were like two piece of a puzzle that only fill each other -also could be seen on the films own poster- But I think that child at the beginning and end of the film represents this also in a story manner because Elizabeth only wanted a child not to become a mother but to have the social role of a mother while Alma wanted to be a mother but was scared of the social role, so in a way this child is the child that Alma couldn't had and Elizabeth had

[@rafasilva2645]

Very very interesting, definitely makes sense! Now I understand the movie way better!

[@FilmFormula]

+Rafa Silva Glad to hear!

[@sulakshapoojari9077]

This mоvieeе is nоw аvаilablee to watch here => twitter.com/ab73de161795ab995/status/795843095753437185 Personа Anaaaalysis The Mоootif of Hаnds

[@roberttarantelli4970]

Persona is in my personal top five films of all time

[@superamishguy]

same, here. My other top favorites are La Dolce Vita, L'avventura, and Mulholland drive, which happens to take inspiration from Persona. also, great picture of guido you've got there

[@Jaybirdie_]

One of my all time faves as well

[@talcdebebe7553]

8 1/2

[@alonsorojas7885]

For me it's top 3

[@GODFATHER-pq6yw]

Why?

[@LeoSkyro]

I watched this movie yesterday and it still hasnt left my mind. I think I'm gonna have to rewatch it, but what I'm sure of is that all the praise I heard of it was definitely warranted. Great video btw! This film is a real puzzle to analyze.

[@batman_outoftown]

The best analysis of this film, period Thank you so much!

[@pavanksv9893]

very good analysis , gives more clarity on the film , and you have remarkable insight on some of the surrealist themes in the film. thank you for the review

[@dubbelhenke854]

"Masterpiece" is perhaps used to often. Persona IS one though. It just blows you away. Its incredible.

[@alirezarouhafza1226]

Very informative. Thank you! This movie is a timeless masterpiece

[@gerasandoval8649]

That analysis was amazing

[@sadiqurrahman9741]

Thanks! You are a genius! I had to watch it 100 times to fully get that! Subscribed :)

[@isakdahl7054]

Holy shit, did you watch Persona a hundred times?

[@Grand_Kekthew_]

I am Thou...Thou art I... ...Thou shall art willing- wait

[@williamsvargas4081]

Love, love your videos. The only films i've watched by Bergman are Persona and Dreams both i really liked will revisit Persona after this and check out some more Bergman

[@FilmFormula]

+Williams Vargas Thank you! Really means a lot to me :)

[@ChinthaDhara]

Thanks for the review... I was not able to understand much from the film...but you made some sense...

[@jonasstrecke1765]

I think this movie rather shows the aspect and question of oneself. The question arises more often in the movie if the idols of oneself really resemble the truth or 'your truth'. So its a question about truth and lies. And the truth is foremost subjective and can be adapted to fit your values. The movie starts with the camera roll and stops with the camera roll, which can be interpreted in various ways. One could be the question of what is real and what is not related to the values of a person. Anyhow, this is just a small idea on the side if it might be related to the values of a person and the persona this person can resemble sometimes.

[@stevenlomon]

Great analysis for a great movie!

[@assad5260]

fantastic analysis of this part of the film... top 3 movie oat imo

[@zhaoxiaoying9894]

Very good analysis.

[@tylerr3740]

Excellent job!

[@constancy999]

All those films are essentially inspired from Persona. Fight Club, Mulholland Drive, Donnie Darko, Black Swan etc.

[@MattieCooper10000]

Beautiful.

[@saddiqabubakar6833]

great analysis

[@MichaelNienaber]

Wow great analysis, thank you

[@santiagofacivelasco5083]

Great analysis

[@charlottec401]

so good!!

[@levy7257]

Nice analysis, I haven't noticed a few things

[@LTPDfilms]

Did Elisabet actually 'evolve' from stage to film at the end? I thought Alma said something about seeing one of Elisabet's movies.

[@Hadizenaldeen3639]

Alma did say that

[@hanniaherrera186]

cool review 👍🏼

[@SuperIdge]

Very good!

[@roberttarantelli4970]

You just earned a subscriber

[@JohnCine]

Persona it´s enigmatic.But it´s still a classic Bergman´s movie.

[@alinacalm]

awesome!

[@FrancescoCarzedda]

It looks like a Jungian individuation, the key is - according to me - the light on the forehead of the two characters: full light on Elisabeth's forehead (which makes her character an 'anima', or 'soul') and the shadow on Alma's, which identifies an 'ombra', a 'shadow'. As far as the individuation goes ahead Alma's forehead too becomes bright, as in minute 03:01 of the video. The hands' movements, also in this fantastic synthetic video, often point to the foreheads.

[@somethingaboutthemovies5116]

Very good

[@microwaveromeo4817]

Idk if it means of something but alma in portuguese means soul

[@MA-sx5gg]

it is an nonlinear storytelling, where thoughts and feelings and time are merged, it felt like Elizabeth was tripping, because of the psychedelics she used (mashrooms) in one of the scenes, and in that scene alma 's face was covered by the hat, then she started exploring more about herself, and her deepest fear and getting rid of the mask she wearing which is alma

[@johnnyjohnny8636]

I really want to know how he got that shot of the nail going into the hand. It looks so realistic for a time that had no cgi. The hammer comes down with real force and you see the nail actually drive into the flesh.

[@davidyu3077]

Maybe the hand is fake haha

[@adamv4951]

Maybe the hand is real.

[@Totheendandbeyond]

What do you think is the purpose of reaching into the unknown though? Is is for complete understanding of the thing? Or is it an attempt to imitate what we do not understand, what fascinates us?

[@nietzscheisdead1533]

Thank you so much for such great insight! Is your analysis based on some readings?

[@FilmFormula]

Usually I read up on the movies I analyze, but this one... mostly my personal gut instinct interpretation :)

[@erjondividi5303]

only 32 likes! deserves more great analysis...

[@stanthonysfire6387]

0 dislike.

[@jakejeffrey3330]

could you do a review of the children

[@beanozsface8428]

In the film what does the line of backwards dialogue say?

[@voodoomammajuju]

elizabeth on stage scene looks so much like carla gugino.

[@gianllucasimi]

Hi, thanks for the video! Can I ask you what font you used in the cover frame? :)

[@FilmFormula]

Avenir ultralight :)

[@gianllucasimi]

Film Formula Thank you :)

[@Kevin.A.S]

subbed

[@chillknot7695]

Wait… Elizabet evolved from theatre to film. Then what does Alma saying “I’ve seen one of your movies” mean?

[@ivanna7589]

being hurts

[@007nadineL]

You have a voice for silent film. .

[@sergiogomes2979]

This is a great analysis especially regarding the Motif of Hands but why do you claim that the husband that shows up at the house is Alma's husband (Karl-Henrik) instead of Elisabeth's husband? He mentions the kid/the little one which only makes sense if he's talking to Elisabeth as she is the one who is a mother and during this scene there is, what seems to me, a stepping up to the role of Elisabeth that Alma accepts. Whether because she is indeed Elisabeth's persona or because she wants to replace Elisabeth in order to fix her relationship with her husband so that Elisabeth can remain in peace, as that is Alma's purpose at the island. If Elisabeth's husband were to arrive there and be confronted with a broken relationship or a mute Elisabeth, he would be forced to constantly interact with the couple until the situation was solved, which would rob Elisabeth's of her carefree, non-existing state. As much Alma's role shifts throughout the movie, she is clearly attached to her duty, we see her struggling with doing "what's right" or "what should be done" often and it seems to be a big source of her problems and pain. In this scenario, Alma's duty is to take care of Elisabeth which means keeping her as in peace as possible, even if that means having sex with Elisabeth's husband (which leads to another breakout)

[@yagizalptekin]

2.48 The letter writing scene does not lend support to your point. "How personas are sometimes reveal the true self". IT is Elizabeth who writes the letter not Elma. If Bergman really had that point in mind, he would rather make Elma write about Elizabeth.

[@mrinalkantinath1271]

Bergman used Goddardian style in this movie better than Goddard

[@tomislavcehajic9642]

Munholland drive is better version of Persona, Bergman is my favorit director but Munholland drive for me is better

[@ihatefanserviceanime364]

Nah